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Today, we welcomed three of our young people into the membership as they celebrated their Confirmation during this morning’s service. They worked hard to complete their Confirmation classes and we are all very proud of them!

Congratulations to:

Hailey Crawford

Dallas Ecker

Kyle Norton

Sue Baker on the Autoharp accompanying the Confirmands, who sang and signed “Step By Step”

I took several photos today and recently. Thought I might take the opportunity to share them!

2016 Consecration Sunday Cake:

2016 Hat and Mitten Tree Up and Ready to Load:

Tree courtesy of Lockwood Tree Farm with the first of many hats, mittens, and gloves our congregation donates each year

11-27-16 Pancake Breakfast:

Rachel Marasco whipping up the pancake batter

An awesome plate of pancakes and sausage

Blessing of the Prayer Shawls:

Pastor Linda blessing the prayers shawls knitted by the Prayer Shawl Ministry group. These shawls and lap robes will be gifted to church family and friends who are ill or going through a tough time and could use a warm hug.

First Sunday of Advent Service:

Advent Wreath

Pastor Jack and Wilma Richardson lighting the first candle of Advent

Al Capurso singing a special song – “All The Trees”, based on Isaiah 55:12

Pastor Linda offering the morning’s Message

Our Congregation:

One of our members is in the hospital, so we took these photos to send her a room full of smiles and well wishes!

I’ll leave you with this photo of the Advent Wreath and Angel Window…..

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Throughout the month, the congregation showed their appreciation to Pastor Linda in various ways. Today, we ended the month with a cake during our Coffee Hour after the service.

Pastor Linda Glantz

Also, today, the men of the Chancel Choir sang Be Still, My Soul for the Anthem.

Each year, the Children put on a program during the service marking the end of the Sunday School season. Today was that day for 2016. Here are some photos from their program:

The Youth Handbell Choir played Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty

The Methodist Music Makers sang Kumbaya featuring Hailey Crawford on the flute and There is Love

The message was in the form of a skit called The Heavenly Express, written by Sharon Kay Chatwell. The Sunday School students acted out the skit about how you get to heaven on the Heavenly Express. It was a cute story and they all did a very nice job!

Kyle Norton and Dallas Ecker served as narrators of the story while they sat on a bench waiting for the train

Lindsay Crawford was the ticket lady

Kay Ecker stopped by with her ticket, ready to board

Hunter Hering and Hailey Crawford talk about how they can get a ticket

And, here they are ready to get their tickets

Steve and Tiffany Crawford and Hunter Hering are a family discussing how the Heavenly Express isn’t something they may get to ride on as a family – some may go ahead of the others

And…..Kelsey Crawford played the Conductor – blowing the whistle and declaring “All Aboard!”

Other highlights of the service were the hymns that focused on relationship between children and God: Jesus Loves Me, Tell Me The Stories of Jesus, and This Little Light of Mine.

Each year, the First United Methodist Church picks a Sunday to celebrate Native American Sunday. This year, that special day of worship was held on May 22nd. Here are some photos from the service:

Kae Wilbert talks about the meaning of symbols in the Native American culture with some of our youth during the Children’s Moment

Kae works with the Committee on Native American Ministries (CONAM) and coordinates our annual day of Native American worship. During the service, Kae provided a report on the activities of CONAM and offered the sermon.

Kay Ecker led the Proclamation and read the Epistle Lesson

Leah Gibbs offered the Closing Prayer

In this photo, Pastor Jack is offering the Benediction and led us in our closing Praise Song

Kae Wilbert and Leah Gibbs after the service

Other features of the worship service that I was not able to get photos of include:

Dallas Ecker led the Opening Prayer

Melanie Norton led the Prayer of the Faithful

The Chancel Choir provided the Choral Prelude in traditional Native American language, “Heleyuyan“, led by Kae Wilbert with traditional Native American instrumentation

The Chancel Choir sang two traditional Kiowa songs for the Anthem: “Ah-ho Dawk’ee (God, I Thank You)” and “Dawk’yah towgyah thawy baht-awm (Take the Saving Word of God)“, again, led by Kae with traditional Native American instrumentation

Recordings of “Creator’s Song” by Joanne Shenandoah was played as the Prelude and “The Lord’s Prayer” sung in the Mohawk language during the Offeratory

It was a lovely service. Thank you to Kae for organizing it and for helping the Chancel Choir learn the songs we sang in the Kiowa language. It is always an interesting and meaningful service and I look forward to next year!

During today’s Mother’s Day worship service, the Methodist Music Makers and the Youth Hand Bell Choir performed three wonderful songs for us! Great job by the youth of our congregation……we all enjoyed their music very much!

The Methodist Music Makers performed “Get Together” (a 1967 song by the Youngbloods) and “Let It Be” (a 1970 song by The Beatles). The Methodist Music Makers sing and play various musical instruments – they consist of (left to right): Dallas Ecker, Kyle Norton, Kelsey Crawford, Hunter Hering, Lindsay Crawford, Hailey Crawford, and Youth Music Director, Al Capurso.

It is always a joy to have the children participate in our service, but it is especially joyful when they provide such beautiful and meaningful music! Thank you to all the youth and the adults who work with them to bring the Youth Music Ministry together!

This morning during the Albion First United Methodist worship service for the 5th Sunday in Lent, Hunter Hering performed the Acolyte duties for the first time. Hunter recently began attending services with our congregation and enjoys being a part of the service collecting the noisy can offering, participating in the Children’s Moments, joining the Methodist Music Makers Children’s Choir, and now serving as an Acolyte. Please welcome Hunter to our congregation…..good job, Hunter!

This morning – Sunday, December 13th – we lit the Advent candle representing JOY! What better way to bring joy to the congregation than to have our annual Children’s Christmas Program. So, this morning, the children of the congregation led the worship service and provided joyful music as a way to celebrate this third Sunday of Advent.

Here are some photos:

Callee Norton read the prayer for the lighting of the Advent candle of JOY

Kyle Norton and Dallas Ecker lit the Advent candles (the way they stood while doing this prevented me from getting a photo)

Today we had our annual church picnic in our new home! We invited the Episcopalian congregation to join us and we had a wonderful day full of fellowship, food, friends, and fun!!! The first of I hope many joint gatherings between the two congregations sharing so much more than a church building!

Here are some photos (photo credits: Kim Pritt and Wilma Richardson)……just an FYI – lots more food was added to the tables after I snapped the photos, so don’t think we must have left hungry! Hahaha!!!

The centerpieces were done by Leslee Lockwood – she put beautiful pansies in a basket with the Episcopal flag and the Methodist flag stuck in the arrangements! What a great way to show our partnership and new friendships!